The International Space Innovation Centre: A New Model for Innovation
- Paper number
IAC-11,E6,2,3,x11004
- Author
Dr. Peter M. Allan, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Mr. Colin Baldwin, STFC, United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Dr. Barbara Ghinelli, STFC, United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Ms. Cathy Johnson, STFC, United Kingdom
- Year
2011
- Abstract
With an impressive track record, the UK sees the Space sector as an important means of delivering economic growth. The International Space Innovation Centre (ISIC) has been created by a partnership of the public and private sectors to provide state of the art facilities and the innovation needed to grow the UK's share of the global space market, in response to the UK government’s Innovation and Growth Strategy for Space. Based upon a hub and spoke model, ISIC will bring together the UK’s space capabilities to break down the boundaries between traditional space and non-space sectors in both industry and academia. ISIC has truly international aspirations, welcoming overseas collaboration. ISIC’s hub is based at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus – home to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Co-located with the European Space Agency’s UK office and RAL Space, the intention is to create a critical mass of space-related activities on the campus that will generate new ideas and develop them through to new products and services. A crucial feature of this is the strong links between the ISIC hub and facilities at other locations, encouraging and supporting the development of applications that require a diverse range of capabilities. The first phase of ISIC has created three core facilities; the Earth Observation Hub, the Visualisation and Applications Centre and the Security and Resilience Unit. Co-funded by ISIC’s partners and a grant from the UK government, these facilities have been developed by the ISIC partnership in an impressively short amount of time. These facilities act as the catalyst for the innovation environment that is developing around them. The fundamental goal of ISIC is to use the critical mass of space activities to ensure that new ideas constantly flow from scientists, technologists and customers working closely together, “sparking” new ideas off each other. The dual public – private nature of ISIC will stimulate the flow of ideas from conception to commercial products. Partners in the development of ISIC include the Science & Technology Facilities Council, UK Space Agency, National Centre for Earth Observation, Technology Strategy Board, South East England Development Agency, Astrium Satellites, Astrium-GEO Information Services, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited, VEGA and Logica. This paper will describe how ISIC will develop, building on the initial facilities and creating new ones according to demand, in order to have a substantial impact on the UK’s capability in the space arena.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-11,E6,2,3,x11004.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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